Automatic controlling device for gas-stoves and the like.



INVENTOR Alfomey PATENTED JULY so, 1907.

F. BBRGENDORP. AUTOMATIG CONTROLLING DEVIGB FOR GAS STOVBS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 30, 1906.

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No. 862,047. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

F. BERGENDORF.

V AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR GAS STOVES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION PiLED JAN. 30, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND BERGENDORF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM B. SOHOFIELD, OF MEROHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR GAS-STOVES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed January 30, 1906. Serial No. 298,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND BERGENDORF, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Controlling Devices for Gas-Stoves and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that form of automatic controlling devices for gas stoves and the like, in which a valve to control the fuel supply to the burner is operated by a primary actuating device, such as a lever actuated by a utensil placed on the stove, whereby the gas is turned on when the utensil is placed on the stove and is turned off when the utensil is removed.

It is desirable that the full head should be turned on each time a utensil is placed over the burner and that the valve should be adjustable by hand to regulate the flame without preventing the automatic turning on of the full head the next time the valve is operated. It is one of the objects of the present invention to accomplish this result by means of a single valve.

My invention also relates to improvements in the power transmitting connections between the primary actuating part and the valve for accomplishing this object, and also to the power transmitting connections for actuating the ignition devices and their combination with the valve operating mechanism, whereby the gas may beturned on at an interval before the operation of the sparking devices, so that the presence of gas at the burner may be assured before the spark is formed.

In the drawings: Figure l is a plan view of an automatic controlling device for gas stoves, embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the supply-valve controlling devices showing the valve fully closed; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the valvemanually adjusted to partially opened position; Fig. 5 isa transverse section of the valve and its operating connections taken on the line AA of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line B-B of Fig. 1.

c is the valve which controls the supply of gas through the pipe a to the gas burner b. As shown this valve 0 is a rotary valve in a casing 0 having nipples, one of which is screwed into the pipe at and the other of which (0 is adapted to be connected with the gas supply pipe. The valve 0 has the usual transverse passageway c which may be brought into communication with the ports of the valve casing or turned transversely thereto by the rotation of the valve.

d is a plate secured to the top of the valve plug cand having a lug or tooth e and a small extension f. To the under side of the extension f is pivoted a small hand operated lever g, the handle g of which projects out horizontally from the plate (I and the inner end h of which extends close to the lug or shoulder e of the plate d and constitutes a movable tooth. A small spring '5 between the plate extension f and the lever g maintains the tooth it out, or projecting beyond the edge of the plate d as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

j is a lever loosely pivoted to the top of the plate (I and provided with a lug k which extends downward 30 and normally lies between the tooth e of the plate and the tooth h of the lever, as best shown in Fig. 3. When the parts are in this relation, it follows that the lever j will turn the plate (I and valve 0 in whichever direction it may be rocked; if rocked to the right in Fig. 3

this position the valve will be closed. The parts are shown in this position in Fig. 3.

When the part m is depressed by the weight of an utensil placed on the stove it will, through the power transmitting connections, rock the lever j to the left,

and the lever j acting through its lug 70 on the tooth h of the lever g will turn the plate (I and valve 0. By a proper adjustment of the connections between the part mand lever j, the movement thus imparted to the valve 0 may be made sufficient to move it into fully opened position. The plate (2 and lever g are shown in this position in dotted lines in Fig. 4. When the utensil is removed and the part m returns to normal position the lever j will move back, and the lug is acting on the tooth 6 will turn the plate d and valve 0 back again to the fully closed position shown in Fig. 3.

Thus the placing of the utensil on the stove will operate the valve to turn the gas on full and the removal of the utensil will turn it off.

The lever 9 being pivoted to the plate d, may be rocked on its pivot d to move the tooth h inwardly so as to be back of the lug k and under the plate d and when in this position the lever g may be moved freely to adjust the valve 0 manually. In Fig. 4 the-full lines show the adjusted position of the lever into which it has been moved by hand from the fully opened p0sition shown in dotted lines. By this manual adjustment of the lever g the valve passageway may be shut down to reduce the gas supply and the flame to any extent desired.

When the utensil is removed and the primary actuating part in returns again to normal position, the lever j will rock back and its lug k acting as before upon the tooth e will move the plate d and valve 0 back into This pri- 70 the valvemay be adjusted manually at will to regulate the flow of gas after an utensil has been placed on the stove, the means for accomplishing such manual adjustment will be automatically returned to fully closed position, when the utensil is removed, and the .parts will be in position to again fully open the valve when the primary actuating part is again operated. I-Ieretofore this result has been accomplished by means of a double valve, one within the other, and it will be noted that with my construction the same result is accomplished by means of a single valve plug.

The particular power transmitting connections be tween the primary actuating part and the valve oper ating lever are not material to this part of my invention.

The devices I have shown for actuating the lever j "are as follows The primary actuating part or lever m is pivoted as at m to a bracket 91 carried by a frame 0 clamped on the gas pipe a. I have shown the bracket n connected with the clamp frame 0 by a slotted flange 0 and screw 0 by means of which the position of the bracket may be adjusted. Pivoted to the lower end of the bracket n is a lever 1) having a slot p extending upwardly and terminating at the lower end in a notch or tail p This slot is engaged by a pin or on the lever m. The upper end of the lever 10 engages the forked end of a lever r pivoted to the horizontal slotted flange 0 of the bracket n. The other end of the lever r is connected by an extensible or adjustable link 7" with the valve actuating lever j. s is'a spring finger on the bracket 11. acting on a pin 0 on the lever on and acting to maintain the lever in a normally elevated position. t is the stationary sparking point, and t is the movable sparking point. t is a small bracket secured to the bracket 11 on which the arm t of the movable sparking point t is pivoted. A small spring t holds the arm 6 with its point away from the point t. On the inner end of the arm t is a lug or nose 15" arranged to be acted upon by a small pivoted dog a on the lever m. u is a stop for'the arm t When the lever m is rocked by an untesil the pin m acting on the tail or notch p of the slot p of the lever p, will rock said lever, and through the lever 1" and link 7* the lever j will be operated. The amount of movement thus imparted by the pin m before it leaves the tail p of the slot 1) will be sufficient to open the valve 0, but this movement will not have operated the sparking point L. The further movement of the lever m will cause the dog a to act on the nose t of the arm t and move the sparking point t into contact with the point t. nose t passes from the dog a and the arm t immediately flies back under the action of its spring t This further movement of the lever m to thus operate the sparking point t is permitted by the slot 10 in the lever p; and by making that slot of such form that, when the lever 10 occupies the position into which it has been moved by the action of the pin m in the tail notch p the slot will be the arc of a circle described for the fulcrum m of the lever m; this further As the arm 15 is thus moved its movement will not effect any thermovement of the lever p or of the valve 0, The whole movement of the lever m, being caused by the placing of the utensil on the stove, is continuous, but it follows from the construction shown that the valve 0 is fully operated before the igniting devices and consequently the full head of gas will be turned on an instant before the igniting spark is formed, and thus will be avoided the defect of having the spark produced before the gas is flowing from the burner.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to the burner, power transmitting connections between said valve and the primary actuating part arranged to move said valve to a maximum position in one direction, said valve beingalso movable independently of said power transmitting connections, means carried by said valve adapted to be acted upon by said power transmitting connections to move said valve to a maximum position in the opposite direction, said means having provision for moving said valve back normally at will to adjust its opening independently of the power transmitting connections and adapted, when the power transmitting connections are operated by the release of the primary actuating part, to return automatically in position to be acted upon by said power transmitting connections to again impart a maximum movement to the valve when the primary actuating part is again actuated by the utensil.

2. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a single valve to control the gas supply, means for adjusting said valve manually at will, and power transmitting connections between the primary actuating device and the valve to move said valve to a maximum position in one direction and acting on said means for manually adjusting said valve to move said valve to a maximum position in the other direction irrespective of the adjustment of said valve by said means operated manually at will.

3. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, having a fixed tooth or projection, power transmitting devices operated by the primary actuating part adapted to act on said fixed tooth or projection to move said valve in one direction, a movable tooth or projection also carried by said valve and adapted to be acted upon by said power transmitting devices to move said valve in the other direction, and means manually operated at will to disengage said movable tooth or projection from the power transmitting devices and adjust said valve, and means for automatically returning said movable tooth or projection into operative engagement with said power transmitting connections when they are moved to operate on said fixed tooth or projection.

4. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, a plate (I, carried by said valve and having a fixed tooth or projection e, a hand controlled lever g having a tooth h, a lever j loosely pivoted to said plate and having a lug k arranged between said tooth e and lever-tooth h, a spring normally projecting said lever-tooth, and power transmitting connections between said lever j and the primary actuating device.

5. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a'movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, having a fixed tooth or projection, a hand controlled lever carried by said valve and having its inner end or tooth normally projected, a lever having a lug or projection arranged between said fixed tooth and Iever-tooth, and power transmitting connections between said lever andthe primary actuated part.

6. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a rotary valve having a fixed tooth and a spring tooth, a rocking lever having a lug between said teeth and adapted when rocked to engage with either one. tooth or the other to rotate the valve in the direction of said tooth, said movable tooth being adapted to be retracted from engagement with said lug of the lever to permit said valve to be manually adjusted independently of said lever and being retained in such retracted position by said lug until it has moved past it and permitted said tooth to return, and power transmitting connections between said tooth actuating lever and the primary actuating part.

7. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, an igniting device for producing a spark, power transmitting connections between said primary actuating device and the valve respectively, arranged to open said valve during the first portion of the movement of said-primary actuating device and to operate the igniting devices during the last portion of said movement.

8. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, power transmitting connections between said primary actuating device and the valve arranged to fully open said valve before the movement of said primary actuating device is completed, an igniting device for producing a spark, and power transmitting connections between said primary actuating device and said igniting devices, to operate said igniting devices on thecompletion of the movement of said primary actuating device.

9. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, a rocking lever p having a slot 1:, p engaged by said primary actuating device said slot being formed to impart forward movement to the lever 10 during .the first portion only of the movement of said primary actuating part, and power transmitting connections between said lever 11 and l the valve. I

10. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, a rocking lever 11 having a slot 10, p engaged by said primary actuating device said slot being formed to impart forward movement to the lever 12 during the first portion only of the movement of said primary actuating part, power transmitting connections between said lever 11 and the valve, an igniting device for producing a spark, and power transmitting devices between said primary actuating device and the igniting device adapted to be actuated after the actuation'of the lever 12.

11. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, a valve to control the gas supply to said stove, a rocking lever 1) having a slot p, p engaged by said primary actuating device said slot being formed to impart forward movement to the lever p during the first portion only of the movement of said primary actuating part, and

power transmitting connections between said lever p and the valve, an igniting device embracing a spring arm car rying a sparking point, and a pivoted dog carried by the primary actuating device and adapted to actuate said spring arm after the actuation of the lever 11.

12. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a movable primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove, an igniting device embracing a spring arm carrying a sparking point, a pivoted dog carried'by said primary actuating device ,and adapted to actuate said spring arm after the primary actuating device has completed a portion of its movement.

13. In an automatic controlling device for gas stoves and the like, the combination of a frame adapted to be detachably clamped to the gas pipe of the burner, a valve controlling the supply of gas to said burner, a bracket detachably and adjustably carried by said clamp frame by a slot and screw connection, a primary actuating device adapted to be moved by an utensil placed on the stove carried by said bracket, and power transmitting connections between said primary actuating device and the supply valve.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

FERD: BERGENDORF.

Witnesses ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, R. M. KELLY. 

